Run 436
Average pace: 5:38/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 5.06 km
Time: 28:32
Weather: Sun and cloud mix
Temp: 21ºC
Wind: nil to light
BPM: 169
Stride: n/a
Weight: 158.8 pounds
Total distance to date: 3492
Device used: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
July has been pretty poop so far in terms of traditional summer weather (sunny, warm) but for running it’s actually been kind of nice.
After last Sunday’s run my right leg felt a bit stiff/sore over the next few days and even my daily walks were slower. I opted to take a week off and so didn’t run again until today. It seems to have had the desired effect as my pace is back to where it was prior to last Sunday and the right leg, although again stiff and a little sore, recovered quickly.
The first km was a decent and measured pace then the next two I fell off quite a bit before finding more pep for the 4th and 5th km. I ended with a pace of 5:38/km, basically equaling my best post-recovery runs. My plan right now is to do a pair of 5Ks over the week then try a 7K next weekend. We shall see how the week progresses.
As alluded to above, conditions were pleasant, 21ºC and little wind. The trail was a bit muddy in spots from an overnight rain and I had to navigate a few puddle remnants but the worst part was the South Shore trail. Park crews starting work on resurfacing it on July 4 and so far the main work has involved running heavy equipment over the trail, leaving huge, ankle-breaking ruts and dips. I nipped around those. Fortunately if I choose to run clockwise or do a full 10K it looks like I can use the same Freeway trail detour I ran in 2012 when they replaced the first boardwalk to entirely bypass the resurfacing work, at the cost of a longer run and a good stretch through an area completely without cover (not a real concern, given the amount of sun we’ve seen so far. A lightning strike is probably a greater risk than sunstroke at this point).
There was some Rocky-something Women’s Run taking place, hence the title of today’s post. It must have been nearing the end because by the time I got back to the dam the person standing there in Official Cheering Capacity had packed up and left. I felt a little guilty passing by so many other joggers but they were there for a good cause and I remember how hard it can be to run when you don’t do it regularly. In fact, on today’s run my mind shifted from the right knee area feeling stiff to more “hey, a week off does seem to affect your cardio” as the last few km, despite being faster, were also more effort.
In all, decent progress and encouraging to see no lingering ill effects in the aftermath of last week’s slowdown.
